Appointments: Co-op; Santander; Barclays; GL Hearn; Rippleffect & more

THE Co-operative Group has appointed Neil Carden to the new post of director of insight and planning, reporting directly to group marketing director Gill Barr.

Mr Carden, whose experience covers retailing, retail banking and payment systems, will join the organisation next month from MasterCard Advisors, where he headed the company’s UK & Ireland operations. Prior to that, he had trained at Harvard Business School and worked on a number of consulting roles in companies including KPMG.

Mr Carden’s new role will involve helping to develop Co-op’s customer proposition across its family of businesses which include food retailing, financial services, funerals, pharmacy, internet electricals and motors.

He will be responsible for customer research and analysis, targeting and the measurement of marketing effectiveness.

Marketing director Gill Barr said: “Neil has a proven track record of success in providing businesses with the insight they need to formulate effective marketing strategies and he will make an invaluable addition to the team in this senior new role.”

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SANTANDER Corporate Banking has appointed Sue Douthwaite as divisional managing director for the North of England.

Ms Douthwaite joins Santander from the Royal Bank of Scotland, where she was the regional corporate banking director for Yorkshire and the North East.

She will lead a team of corporate and commercial banking experts located in the North of England and will report to Marcelino Castrillo Garcia, head of Santander Commercial Banking. The team is responsible for managing existing customer relationships and sourcing new business throughout the division.

Ms Douthwaite will be predominantly based in Manchester and Leeds, but will also have teams in Liverpool, Hull and Sheffield.

Ms Douthwaite said: “I have spent much of my career in corporate banking, with a lot of time spent in the North and I am confident that I can bring this experience and knowledge of the region to ensure Santander achieves its aim of becoming the SME bank of choice.”

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BARCLAYS Corporate is increasing the support offered to multinational corporates by appointing  a series of local relationship directors within key UK regions.

In Greater Manchester, the firm has tasked relationship manager Jason Gledhill to work directly with multinationals alongside his existing portfolio of corporate clients.

Wyatt Crowell, Barclays Corporate’s managing director for multinational corporates in the UK & Ireland said: “Growing our multinational corporate franchise is a key pillar of our long term corporate banking strategy.

“We are seeking to bring an increasing level of consistency in how we join up and run our multinationals business internationally while strengthening our partnerships with regional business communities throughout the UK.”

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PROPERTY, planning and development consultancy GL Hearn has appointed recent graduate Laura Kettle as an assistant planner in its Manchester office.
 
Kettle has a Masters (MPlan) in Urban Studies and Planning from the University of Sheffield.  She will work with the planning, development and regeneration team to provide support as it advises its clients across both the public and private sector.
 
Steve Edgeller, planning director at the firm’s Manchester office said: “At GL Hearn we are always looking to build our existing team with fresh talent and Laura’s relevant experience and clear enthusiasm for working in the Planning sector was evident from the outset. Laura has made a positive start to her GLH career and is settling in well.”

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RIPPLEFFECT, the North West digital communications agency, has appointed Nicola Peate as its new social media manager.

Peate joins the Liverpool and Manchester-based firm from McCann Erickson Manchester where, in the same role, she was responsible for managing social strategies for clients such as Wickes, Halewood International, Makro and Very.co.uk.

Before McCann, Peate led the digital output for anti-litter charity Keep Britain Tidy where she first worked with Rippleffect’s sales and marketing director Kirstie Buchanan.

Peate said: “Having worked with Kirstie before, I know how passionate she is about social media and I am delighted to be working with her again. I’m also really excited to be joining the team at Rippleffect and can’t wait to get started on the projects that we have in the pipeline with both new clients and the agency’s impressive client base.

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FORBES Solicitors has promoted Olivia Hart to associate solicitor.
Hart, who is based at the Lancashire firm’s Manchester office, is part of its specialist Insurance team which acts for a number of the UK’s leading insurers.

She undertakes work for both private and public sector clients including Employer’s Liability, Public Liability and industrial disease.

Hart studied at Newcastle University before beginning her training contract with Forbes.